Remaking a Video Game Case: Hertan Ruskaretki

Suvi Kemppainen

BACHELOR’S THESIS November 2019 Business Information Systems Game Production

ABSTRACT

Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tampere University of Applied Sciences Business Information Systems Game Production KEMPPAINEN, SUVI: Remaking a Video Game Case: Hertan Ruskaretki Bachelor's thesis 33 pages November 2019

The purpose of this thesis was to observe and analyse the video game remake process along with data found from outside sources to list the characteristics of remaking video games and the issues encountered during development. The the-sis had a two-part objective. First, to produce a remake of the Hertan Ruskaretki video game for the Pikku Kakkonen mobile application. Second, to find out and reflect on the characteristics of remaking video games and the problems encoun-tered during this process. The research done in this thesis is qualitative. The chosen research strategy is a case study. The empirical research method is observation and the empirical data is based on the Hertan Ruskaretki remake project findings. Other data used in this study was collected from selected online sources. The remake concept was first described and compared to related concepts by analysing the collected data in five aspects: visuals, audio, code, gameplay and platform. The results suggest that a remake is a new version of a game, improved upon in at least one of the five aspects, often containing the definitions of a re-master and a port. Hertan Ruskaretki was classified as a remake. The characteristics and problems were listed by analysing the collected data and observing the remake process. The results suggest a typical remake project in-creases in scale, balances the needs of both old and new players and technolog-ical considerations, is outsourced to some degree, and is developed because of money, technology, publicity, nostalgia or restoration. The problems may include rolling back changes, communication breakdown, missing assets, various tech-nological problems depending on the original game and the desired result, and failing to consider the impact even small changes may have on gameplay. The results presented in this thesis provide an overview on the topic and further research is strongly recommended. This further research into the remake process is encouraged to include interviews of industry professionals and should be di-vided into more detailed areas of interest as the specific effects of the types of technology, assets and goals are lost in the scale of this thesis.

Key words: remake, remaster, port, re-release, video game

TIIVISTELMÄ

Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tietojenkäsittely Game Production KEMPPAINEN, SUVI: Remaking a Video Game Case: Hertan Ruskaretki Opinnäytetyö 33 sivua Marraskuu 2019

Opinnäytetyön tavoite oli toteuttaa Hertan Ruskaretki -pelin uudelleenversiointi Pikku Kakkosen mobiilisovellukselle. Tavoitteena oli myös samalla selvittää ja pohtia uudelleenversioinnin ominaispiirteitä ja sen aikana esille nousevia ongel-mia. Työn tarkoituksena oli havainnoida ja analysoida pelin uudelleenversiointi-prosessia sekä lähdemateriaalista kerättyä tietoa näiden ominaispiirteiden ja on-gelmien listaamiseksi. Tässä työssä tehtävä tutkimus oli kvalitatiivista ja lähestymistapana oli tapaustut-kimus. Empiirisenä tutkimusmenetelmänä oli havainnointi ja työn empiirinen tieto perustui Hertan Ruskaretken uudelleenversiointiprojektissa havaittuihin löydök-siin. Opinnäytetyössä käytettävä muu tieto kerättiin tarkkaan valituista internet-lähteistä. Ensimmäiseksi työssä kuvailtiin uudelleenversioidun pelin käsite ja tätä verrattiin aiheeseen liittyviin toisiin käsitteisiin analysoiden kerättyä dataa viidellä osa-alu-eella: grafiikka, äänet, koodi, gameplay ja alusta. Analyysin tulokset viittaavat sii-hen, että remake eli uudelleenversioitu peli on uusi versio pelistä, jonka vanhaa versiota on paranneltu ainakin yhden listatun näkökohdan puitteissa. Remake myös usein sisältää parannellun pelin eli remaster ja toiselle alustalle siirretyn pelin eli port määritelmät. Hertan Ruskaretki luokiteltiin uudelleenversionniksi. Ominaispiirteet ja ongelmat listattiin analysoiden kerättyä dataa ja havainnoiden Hertan Ruskaretken uudelleenversiointiprosessia. Tulosten mukaan tyypillinen uudelleenversiointiprojekti kasvaa projektin aikana, tasapainottelee vanhojen ja uusien pelaajien tarpeiden ja teknisten asioiden huomioonottamisen välillä, on jossain määrin ulkoistettu, ja kehitetään rahan, teknologian, julkisuuden, nostal-gian tai entisöinnin vuoksi. Ongelmia olivat muutosten mahdollinen peruminen, kommunikaatiokatkokset, puuttuvat tiedostot, erilaiset tekniset ongelmat alkupe-räisestä pelistä ja halutusta tuotteesta riippuen sekä epähuomiossa aikaansaatu pienten muutosten vaikutus pelimekaniikkoihin. Aiheen laajuuden vuoksi työn tulokset nähdään yleiskatsauksena aiheeseen, jo-ten jatkotutkimusta suositellaan. Menetelmiksi ehdotetaan pelialan ammattilais-ten haastatteluja ja aiheen rajaamista pienempiin osa-alueisiin. Tarkempaa tutki-musta suositellaan eri teknologioiden, tiedostojen ja tavoitteiden vaikutuksista.

Avainsanat: uudelleenversiointi, videopeli, remake, remaster, port

4

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 5

2 WHAT MAKES A REMAKE? ................................................................ 7

2.1 Remake .......................................................................................... 7

2.2 Similar Terms and Comparison ...................................................... 9

2.3 Classifying Hertan Ruskaretki ...................................................... 14

3 HERTAN RUSKARETKI ..................................................................... 15

3.1 Background .................................................................................. 15

3.2 New Hertan Ruskaretki ................................................................ 16

3.3 Remaking Hertan Ruskaretki ....................................................... 18

4 CHARACTERISTICS OF REMAKING VIDEO GAMES ...................... 20

5 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE REMAKE PROCESS.. 23

6 DISCUSSION ..................................................................................... 29

REFERENCES ........................................................................................ 31

5

1 INTRODUCTION

There may be various reasons for a video game developer to choose to make a

new version, a remake, of a previously released game. The reasons can range

from technical to brand-related, but the considerations and possible problems re-

main the same. Even the term itself is surprisingly open to interpretation. This

thesis is going to take a closer look at the subject of remaking a video game,

prompted by a work project for Yleisradio Oy.

Yleisradio Oy, commonly abbreviated to Yle, is a Finnish public service broad-

casting company. The company is owned by the Finnish people and funded by

Yle tax since January 2013. Yle has a multitude of television and radio channels

and services as well as online content. (Yleisradio Oy 2019c.) The company also

provides entertainment in the form of games, for example children’s games in

Pikku Kakkosen Eskari application meant for preschool-aged children and Pikku

Kakkonen application meant for children under the primary school age (Yleisradio

Oy 2019b; Yleisradio Oy 2019a).

One of the games in the Pikku Kakkonen game catalogue was Hertan Ruskaretki

(Yleisradio Oy 2014), sometimes also referred to as Hertan Maailma: Ruskaretki

[Pearl’s World: Autumn Adventure]. The game is part of the Hertan Maailma

[Pearl’s World] brand which features an approximately 6-year-old girl exploring

the world (Alpaca Media Ltd. N.d.). The game was available on the Pikku Kakko-

nen mobile application until 2016 and on the Pikku Kakkonen website until 2018

(Palovuori 2019). Yle started planning a remake of Hertan Ruskaretki with up-

dated graphics and technology in 2019 with an intended release later in the same

year. This thesis was commissioned by Yle as part of the remake process.

The objective of this thesis is two-fold. First, to produce the remake of the previ-

ously Flash-based Hertan Ruskaretki for the Pikku Kakkonen mobile application

using new technology in the Unity game engine. Second, to find out and reflect

on the characteristics of remaking video games and the problems encountered

during this process. The purpose of this thesis is to observe and analyse the

Hertan Ruskaretki remake process along with data found from outside sources

6

to list these characteristics and issues. The research done in this thesis is quali-

tative and the chosen research strategy is a case study. The empirical research

method is observation and the empirical data is based on the Hertan Ruskaretki

remake project findings. Other data used in this study is collected from selected

online sources and consists of both theory and secondary data such as other

case studies.

The next chapter of this thesis will focus on the definition of a remake and its

neighbouring terms, defining and comparing the terms and classifying the new

Hertan Ruskaretki according to the findings. Chapter 3 explores Hertan Rus-

karetki in more detail, relaying the background of the game, discussing both the

old and the new version, and ending with a report on the remake process. The

results of this research are analysed and presented in chapters 4 and 5. The

discussion follows in chapter 6.

7

2 WHAT MAKES A REMAKE?

2.1 Remake

Before going into the case examined in this thesis, the term remake first needs

to be explained and distinguished from its neighbouring terms. There are several

terms similar to a remake or ones that are involved with the remake process, and

even the remake term itself varies in its definition depending on who is asked.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2003, 1052) defines ‘remake’ as “one

that is remade”, “to make anew or in a different form”. Lacking an official defini-

tion, remaking a video game could thus be defined as the process of making a

new version of a previously released video game. But is the definition as a new

version enough or does the amount of modification done or the quality of the

changes made to the game matter?

In an article for PopMatters.com, writer L.B. Jeffries (2009) names four elements

for video game remakes: a new script, a new visual look, and interface and game

design changes “to fit modern sensibilities”. Jeffries explains that the new visual

look should include both improving on the original and making the game new in

its own way. He goes on to point out technology, newness and design as the

three areas that remakes contend with. For example, differing control schemes,

changing gameplay to fit a new platform, and changing the pacing of the game

are all used to create an improved “retelling of the original experience”. (Jeffries

2009.)

According to TheGamer.com, a remake is modelled after the original game but

does not use old source code or assets (Murray 2019). Assets are files such as

graphics, audio or text used in the game engine. Echoing L.B. Jeffries’ assess-

ment, TheGamer.com goes on to state developers may even decide to make big

alterations to a game like designing a new camera system when they are devel-

oping a remake (Murray 2019).

8

Vice.com reporter Patrick Klepek (2018) divides the remake term into remake

and remake-reboot, where the former does large-scale visual overhaul but is con-

sistent with the original gameplay and the latter changes the game itself. The

term remake-reboot could not be found from other sources which would suggest

such a distinction is not popular. Klepek refers to the Nintendo GameCube ver-

sion of Resident Evil (Capcom 2002) as such a remake-reboot, where others,

such as video game and media website IGN.com, call it a remake (Klepek 2018,

Casamassina 2018).

The Resident Evil remake serves as a good example of the far end of the remake

definition. The original game has been recreated but altered, the audio and visu-

als have been upgraded and sometimes completely changed, and new enemies,

weapons, puzzles and areas of exploration have been added. The basic game-

play and aspects like the inventory system are the same as in the original but

aspects such as combat have been expanded on with the addition of the new

enemies and weapons. (Casamassina 2018.)

Representing the opposite end of the remake definition could be the Nintendo

Switch remake of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Grezzo 2019).

VG247.com contributor Alex Donaldson (2019) calls it “a one-to-one remake --

as faithful as remakes come”. The game makes very few true changes to the

original, only updating the visuals and, for example, combining a previously sep-

arated game area into a seamless one. The remake also changes the control

scheme for the better. The only new addition in the remake is the ability for play-

ers to create their own dungeons for the character to explore. (Donaldson 2019.)

It seems evident that the remake term is a spectrum.

It could be argued that the new feature in the Link’s Awakening remake prevents

the game from being the one-to-one remake Alex Donaldson suggests. The col-

lectables required to use the feature are present in the original-style gameplay as

rewards even if the added gameplay itself is more of a minigame than something

interfering with the original. However, if a new addition can be disregarded when

its connection to the original-style gameplay portion is this superficial, the rest of

the Zelda remake can be called faithful.

9

2.2 Similar Terms and Comparison

Most often a remake is compared to a remaster or a port, so much so that some-

times game makers themselves must clarify what to call a new version of a spe-

cific game. In January 2019, Electronic Arts producer Jim Vessella (2019) speci-

fied on Reddit that the upcoming Command and Conquer game is going to be a

remaster instead of a remake, aiming to combine new technology and re-used

source-code to retain the feel of the old version. In June 2017 the reverse was

true, when Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida was interviewed

for Japanese gaming magazine Famitsū. Yoshida clarified that the new Shadow

of the Colossus (Bluepoint Games 2018) would be a remake instead of a remas-

ter, using modern technology and all-new assets with game content staying the

same. (Matulef 2017.) Both Vessella and Yoshida talk about new technology

which adds to the confusion amongst the terms. This would suggest that the na-

ture of the technological changes matters along with other modifications.

Vicarious Visions game director Dan Tanguay (2016) introduces a new term for

their Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Vicarious Visions 2017): remaster plus.

Somewhere between a remaster and a remake, the remaster plus rebuilds the

gameplay, level design and art based on the original game but adds new features

like new save and menu systems. (Tanguay 2016.) This sounds very much like

a remake so where is the line drawn?

Elijah Freeman, the vice president of the Games Division at Virtuos Games, talks

about “visual fidelity” being an interest when developing a remaster. A remaster

would overhaul the game visually by following the original like a blueprint. Ac-

cording to Freeman, a remake would go a step further by including the visual

overhaul but also technological considerations, for example whether the original

game engine supports the modifications or whether the visual fidelity is affected

by the technical changes. He brings out an interesting point that usually develop-

ers are looking into remastering a game, but as more and more required techno-

logical changes accumulate, the remaster becomes a remake. (Billcliffe 2019.)

10

The terms remake and port overlap in a slightly different way. In his book Medi-

ated Nostalgia, Ryan Lizardi (2015) offers his take on the definition of the two

terms:

A video game remake is when the old [game] is redone and recre-ated while borrowing some elements and adding new ones, and a “port” is when an older game is made available to be played on a newer or mobile console, possibly with some graphical improvement. (Lizardi 2015, 87)

Lizardi continues that distinguishing between the two is sometimes difficult since

a remake can be so close a match to the source material that it could be called a

port and a port often has new gameplay additions akin to a remake (Lizardi 2015,

87). The overlap is in the porting aspect and begs the question whether a remake

made for a different platform is always a port or both a port and a remake.

In his technological analysis for Eurogamer.net, John Linneman (2018) ponders

the distinction when it comes to a new version of Luigi’s Mansion (Grezzo 2018)

released on Nintendo 3DS. The former Nintendo GameCube title has been up-

dated visually with mostly new art and even with different art direction that Linne-

man says changes the mood of the game. He notes the technological differences

as well, for example the changes in performance and the choices made to handle

lighting and shadows, and the advantages of the new control scheme made pos-

sible by the 3DS system. The changes make the game feel like a remake to Lin-

neman instead of a simple port, although at the end of his article he still chooses

to call the game a conversion, which is another word for a port. (Linneman 2018.)

Sometimes different terms are even used interchangeably in magazine articles.

TheHookSite.com contributor Alfie Powell (2019) uses both remake and remaster

when talking about GoldenEye 25 which is the upcoming new version of the game

GoldenEye 007 (Rare 1997). TheVerge.com writer Andrew Webster (2015) does

the same when reviewing Grim Fandango Remastered (Double Fine Productions

2015). The new version of Grim Fandango (LucasArts 1998) even has remaster

in its name, but Webster still calls it a remake (Webster 2015).

11

While remake, remaster and port are terms that are mentioned most often in the

same context, there are still more terms available. Re-release, reboot and

reimagining are all mentioned when remakes are discussed.

Re-release seems more of an umbrella term for the others than an actual sepa-

rate term. In an article for RockPaperShotgun.com, Mitch Kocen (2017) uses the

term for both remasters and remakes, and once again remake and remaster are

used interchangeably. On GamesRadar.com, Nathan Brown (2018) mentions re-

make, remaster and port all under the re-release term, sometimes separating re-

master and re-release without explanation. Brown also takes the now-familiar

route of referring to a remake as a remaster, even when talking about Shadow of

the Colossus which, as discussed in the beginning of this subchapter, Sony

Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida defined as a remake (Brown 2018;

Matulef 2017). TheVerge.com talks about remakes and ports as re-releases

(Webster 2015).

An unaltered re-release would have no changes made to the game itself except

to make it playable on a modern platform, which could also be called emulation.

(Kocen 2017.) TheGamer.com also mentions a re-release is often purely “the

original code made to run on modern hardware through the use of an emulator”

(Murray 2019). This definition matches the more specific unaltered re-release

term.

Reboots are often described as taking the idea of the original game and executing

it differently. Both gameplay and setting can be different than in the original, for

example making a 3D third-person adventure game from a 2D platformer.

(Handke 2018; Lassman 2018.) It is difficult to find several reliable sources on

video game reboot descriptions. Most often the descriptions read as extreme re-

makes, so the term reboot is excluded from the comparison in this thesis.

The term reimagining is sometimes mentioned when describing a remake but

there is so little information on the term outside discussion forums that this term

will also be excluded from the term comparison.

12

A simplified comparison chart between all the discussed terms can be found be-

low (table 1). The table lists information on visuals, audio, code, gameplay, plat-

form and the term that was used in the reference material. All the sources men-

tioned above and throughout this thesis are listed if they contain information on

the different terms. The information is compared using the adjectives improved,

same, different and additional. Improved is used when that aspect of the game

has been updated or altered in some way to make it better. Same is written when

nothing has changed and different is used when that aspect has been changed

completely. Additional is marked when something new has been added to that

aspect. If no information on that aspect was found, a simple dash is used.

TABLE 1. Comparison of related terms

Visuals Audio Code Gameplay Platform Term used

(Billcliffe 2019) improved - - - - remaster

(Billcliffe 2019) improved - different - - remake

(Brown 2018) improved - - same /

improved

same /

different

remaster

(Brown 2018) - - - - different port

(Brown 2018) improved - improved - different remake

(Casamassina

2018)

improved

/ different

improved

/ different

- additional different remake

(Donaldson

2019)

improved - different improved /

additional

different remake

(Jeffries 2009) improved - - improved /

different

- remake

(Klepek 2018) same same same same different port

(Klepek 2018) improved same same same different remaster

(Klepek 2018) improved

/ different

- - same - remake

(Klepek 2018) improved

/ different

- different different - remake-

reboot

(Kocen 2017) improved

/ different

improved

/ different

- - - re-release /

remaster /

remake

(Kocen 2017) same same same same same re-release

(Linneman

2018)

improved

/ different

- improved

/ different

improved /

different

different port /

remake

13

Visuals Audio Code Gameplay Platform Term used

(Lizardi 2015) same /

improved

- - same /

additional

different port

(Lizardi 2015) improved - - additional same /

different

remake

(Matulef 2017) different - improved same /

improved

different remake

(Murray 2019) same same same /

improved

same different re-release

(Murray 2019) improved - improved improved - remaster

(Murray 2019) improved

/ different

- different improved /

different

different remake

(Powell 2019) improved - - improved - remake

(Tanguay

2016)

improved - - improved /

additional

-

remaster

plus

(Vessella

2019)

- - same /

additional

same /

improved

- remaster

(Wawro 2014) same /

improved

- improved

/ different

same /

improved

different port

(Webster

2015)

improved improved - same /

improved

- remaster

According to the data above, the visual aspect of a remake is always improved

or different and the audio and code are improved or different when they have

been mentioned at all. The gameplay is improved, additional or different, and only

twice marked as remaining the same. The platform is mostly different.

Considering the discussion in the beginning of this chapter and analysing the data

in table 1, a remake could be defined as a new version of a previously released

game, improved or changed to varying degrees in at least one aspect regardless

of the platform it is developed for. As such it would also contain the definition of

a remaster and, when developed for a different platform, a port.

14

2.3 Classifying Hertan Ruskaretki

Now that the remake term and its neighbours have been analysed, the new ver-

sion of Hertan Ruskaretki developed for the Pikku Kakkonen mobile application

can be classified. The old Hertan Ruskaretki was already present on an earlier

version of the mobile application, so the platform will not change. Thus, the new

version of the game does not fit the definition of just a port. The art assets of the

new game are new, but they are redrawn and improved versions of the old art.

All the animations in the game have been remade modelling them after the old

version but a few of the cut scenes have been slightly changed. The new game

reuses all the old audio files with a few new additions in sound effects. The audio

files are thus the only assets in the game that have not been completely remade.

The game does not reuse any of the code of the old game, and the gameplay

remains almost entirely the same with slight changes but no new additions. Tak-

ing the term analysis in the previous section into account, Hertan Ruskaretki can

be classified as a remake.

15

3 HERTAN RUSKARETKI

3.1 Background

Hertan Ruskaretki features an approximately 6-year-old girl, Hertta, who explores

the world with her friends Tollo and Aivo. The game is part of the Hertan Maailma

brand which started as an animated series with digital game content in January

2008. Yleisradio Oy or Yle has been broadcasting the animated series as part of

their children’s program Pikku Kakkonen since March 2008. Nowadays there are

also story books, colouring and activity books, plush toys and even a boardgame

which all feature Hertta and her friends. The originator of Hertan Maailma is Niina

Grönholm. (Sunnari 2010; Alpaca Media Ltd. N.d.)

Hertta has been embraced by the public. When the Hertan Maailma games were

removed from the Pikku Kakkonen website in 2018, people began demanding

their return (Palovuori 2019). There is even a Change.org petition signed by over

3000 people to bring back the games (Change.org 2019).

The love and nostalgia felt for the character and the games is one reason Yle

started planning a remake of Hertan Ruskaretki with updated graphics and tech-

nology in 2019. Hertan Ruskaretki, also known as Hertan Maailma: Ruskaretki,

is a game about Hertta, Tollo and Aivo on an autumn adventure. The game was

available on the Pikku Kakkonen mobile application until 2016 and the Pikku

Kakkonen website until 2018 (Palovuori 2019).

The Hertan Maailma brand is widely-known and respected and therefore Yle

wanted to retain the brand as part of their game selection. As the original Hertan

Ruskaretki was developed using the now-deprecated software platform Adobe

Flash, a technological update was required. Yle decided to utilize the Unity game

engine to produce a new version of Hertan Ruskaretki that would be suitable for

and more functional on the modern mobile platform. (Hyytiäinen 2019b.)

16

The outdated game content was previously converted to be used in the Unity

game engine via a plugin. The plugin is no longer supported which means there

is no way to receive bug fixes for it. If the Unity game engine would be updated

and the old plugin broke as a result, it could make the game itself stop working.

(Hyytiäinen 2019b.)

The converted Flash content and the bitmap graphics format of the original game

also take up a lot of space. By replacing the old bitmap files with Scalable Vector

Graphics or SVG files, Yle hopes to achieve a smaller application file size for the

Pikku Kakkonen mobile application that hosts the Hertan Ruskaretki game.

(Hyytiäinen 2019b.)

Replacing the old Flash animation with newly created animation in the Unity game

engine should make it feel smoother and thus improve game content. The remake

will also provide a better way to manage that content as programming the remake

with C# makes the code readable and easily fixed if required. The Unity game

engine can also be updated without the risk of breaking the game. (Hyytiäinen

2019b.)

3.2 New Hertan Ruskaretki

A new game script was written for the new version of Hertan Ruskaretki with slight

changes in it when compared to the old one. These deviations included an altered

cinematic sequence with a character moving four times across the screen instead

of three times or an additional scene placed in the middle of an old sequence.

These types of changes affect cut scene animation for the sequences involved

so any altered cut scene had to be remade by combining the new script’s direction

with the events of the old game. Animations that were unchanged in the new

script were redone using the old game as a blueprint. All the animations were

done using newly created art assets.

The new art was redrawn as faithful recreations of the old Hertan Ruskaretki vis-

uals. The main character, Hertta, was changed the most. The formerly short and

chubby Hertta has been replaced with a leaner girl who feels taller and slightly

17

more realistic than her former self. The background artwork has also been sim-

plified. An example comparison can be seen in picture 1 below.

PICTURE 1. Comparison of the original Hertan Ruskaretki artwork in the image

at the top and the remake in the image at the bottom (Yleisradio Oy 2014)

The new script contains changes to the game audio, but no new lines were rec-

orded for the remake, so the original audio was used instead. The only changed

or added audio were sound effects such as a door handle turning that was miss-

ing in the original game or a different sound for opening window blinds.

18

The new game remains almost identical to the old version when it comes to

gameplay. Some changes have been made to reflect the new script, but the al-

terations are minimal and improvements on the original. None of the old Flash-

based game code has been reused so the entire game has been reprogrammed

with C#.

3.3 Remaking Hertan Ruskaretki

Yle acted as the mediator between all parties working on the Hertan Ruskaretki

remake and was responsible for the completion of the project. Yle personnel

would also handle the integration of the finished remake into their Pikku Kakko-

nen mobile application. Separate parties provided the new script, the new art as-

sets and the old and new audio files. Yle provided finishing touches to the

graphics files and modified them when required.

As part of this thesis, a Unity project was set up for the game remake and the

audio and graphics files were imported into the project. The latter were imported

using Unity’s own SVG importer. The game characters and scenes were then

assembled and animated using the original Hertan Ruskaretki as a blueprint and

modifying the scenes when the new remake script indicated it. Gameplay and

other functionality were then programmed into the game combining the new script

with the original. Audio files were also added as indicated.

A few notable issues arose during development. The new game script was some-

times difficult to understand and had discrepancies with the audio and graphics

that were indicated in the script and the files that were available. This resulted in

slight delays in development whenever clarification was needed. Compromises

were mandatory because missing graphics and sounds could not be acquired.

Variations of already existing graphics and combinations of old sound files could

sometimes be used to create a result closest to the one indicated by the script.

The end product is thus different in some ways than the one envisioned in the

script.

19

Some of the larger art assets, the large backgrounds, were also problematic and

needed to be reworked for Unity to even import them. Yle was aware of this issue

and one of the largest scenes was tested straight away to detect any issues. The

problematic images produced a vertex array error upon import (picture 2). Yle

solved the error by reworking the image to fit within the vertex limit.

PICTURE 2. A vertex array error produced by large background art upon import

to Unity

The development of the project was delayed well beyond its originally planned

two-month workload as one person both programmed and animated the game.

Yle offered to provide an animator to help with the workload but it was decided

the project could stand to be delayed while providing a learning opportunity in

animation. The communication issue indicated by the script and file mismatch

also slightly affected the development delay but mostly impacted the workflow.

20

4 CHARACTERISTICS OF REMAKING VIDEO GAMES

The reasons for remaking a video game are varied, and they provide both a start-

ing point and something the remake process is trying to accomplish. As such,

what is characteristic of remaking video games is partly influenced by the reason

behind the remake. As remakes can contain both remasters and ports, their char-

acteristics as part of remakes are also included in the discussion below without

differentiating between the three terms.

Elijah Freeman, vice president of the Games Division at Virtuos Games, mentions

that developing a remake can be more cost-effective than a new project. The

company can follow the blueprint of the old game and does not have to spend as

much time and money on coming up with new ideas and how to develop them.

Remakes can also be outsourced to companies specialising in these types of

projects which frees up the original developers to focus on new games like se-

quels and new intellectual property or IP, for short. This can save time and money

and help to give the original developers new publicity. (Billcliffe 2019; Brown

2018.)

Outsourcing can be counted as a characteristic of remaking video games as com-

panies such as QLOC and Bluepoint Games have been responsible for develop-

ing various large-scale re-releases in recent years. QLOC was responsible for

such titles as Dark Souls Remastered (QLOC 2018a) and the PC version of Devil

May Cry HD Collection (QLOC 2018b) while Bluepoint developed Shadow of the

Colossus (Bluepoint Games 2018) among others. (Brown 2018.) The develop-

ment of the Hertan Ruskaretki remake used outsourcing as separate parties pro-

duced the audio, graphics, and the code and animation. Yle provided finishing

touches to the graphics when required but was mainly responsible for the com-

pletion of the project and acted as the mediator between the parties. Yle person-

nel also handled the integration of the finished remake into their Pikku Kakkonen

mobile application.

21

The ever-changing state of technology is also a factor when companies think

about resurrecting an old title. RockPaperShotgun.com contributor Mitch Kocen

(2017) points out that all old games eventually become unplayable on new, faster

systems and it is the remakes that make it possible to enjoy them again without

resorting to illegalities. A remake can also provide a way to finally carry out the

development team’s original vision if it was left unfulfilled because the required

technological advancements were not yet available. (Billcliffe 2019.)

Like mentioned in chapter 2, Elijah Freeman of Virtuos Games pointed out that a

remaster often becomes a remake when too many technological changes are

needed along the way (Billcliffe 2019). The development project might even start

out as a simple port to another platform, then turn into a remaster and after that

into a remake. The shift occurs as needed when the development team examines

the original code, asset possibilities and cost. (Brown 2018.) A common charac-

teristic of remaking video games thus seems to be that the project starts out as a

smaller endeavour and then needs to be re-evaluated. It is also clearly charac-

teristic that technology will impact the project in some way and must be consid-

ered and evaluated throughout.

Even if the required technology existed at the time of developing the original

game, some features might have been cut from the released game. Remakes

can make it possible to add these features like originally envisioned. (Billcliffe

2019.)

Nostalgia can be a factor when choosing to develop a remake. Fans of the old

game get to enjoy the game on a modern platform without the added hassle of

first making the old game playable on that platform if it is even possible. Nostalgia

can also be deceitful and trying to play the old version can leave a fan disen-

chanted. A remake can update the old game enough to rekindle the players’ love

for the game and experience it again. Fans of the old game can also share it more

easily with younger generations as a remake. This is done by companies as well,

because a remake can be a good way to recruit new players who would otherwise

skip an outdated title. (Billcliffe 2019; Brown 2018; Byrd 2019.) If the design itself

is changed, the game might even become easier for younger players to under-

stand as players’ expectations of a good video game experience has changed

22

over time (Jeffries 2009). It is thus characteristic for remaking video games to try

to cater to both old fans and possible new players while considering the visual

and gameplay needs of a modern audience.

By recruiting these new players and making original fans fall back in love with the

game, remaking a game can be used to revive a dying franchise paving the way

for new instalments or to just re-sell a game to the original audience. (Billcliffe

2019; Brown 2018.) The reason behind remaking the game would again be finan-

cial gain which might make old fans feel tricked. This issue is discussed in the

next chapter.

Remakes can be viewed as restoring video game history instead of preserving it.

Preservation would be just making sure old games are not lost when technology

changes, but restoration ensures that they can be enjoyed at the same level as

they once were. (Billcliffe 2019; Brown 2018.)

Considering all the reasons named above for starting a remake project, the most

prominent characteristic of remaking games becomes its varied instigator: It is

characteristic of remaking video games that the reason behind the project is

money, technology, publicity, nostalgia or restoration. As discussed in chapter 3,

the Hertan Ruskaretki remake was prompted by the need for more up-to-date

technological solutions as well as nostalgia and retaining an important brand

(Hyytiäinen 2019b).

The characteristics of remaking video games can be concisely listed as follows:

• The remake is developed because of money, technology, publicity, nos-

talgia or restoration.

• The project tries to balance the needs of both old and new players while

taking the visual and gameplay needs of a modern audience into account.

• The development is outsourced to at least some degree.

• Incremental changes make the project increase in scale.

• Technological considerations are inevitable and need to be evaluated

throughout the lifetime of the project.

23

5 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE REMAKE PROCESS

Developers must prepare themselves that they might be facing several problems

along the way as they start a video game remake project. Like the characteristics

outlined in the previous chapter, the problems described below include issues

with remastering and porting as the two are usually part of the remake process.

When starting a remake project, the first thing to consider is the extent to which

the old game should be remade. Problems can already arise from the decisions

made at this first stage, as fans of the original game might not like the changes

made to it. On GamesRadar.com, Nathan Brown (2018) wrote that fans of the

2011 action roleplaying game Dark Souls (FromSoftware 2011) had mixed reac-

tions to its new version Dark Souls Remastered (QLOC 2018a). Some com-

plained the developer had not altered the game enough to warrant a new release

while others felt the game had changed for the worse (Brown 2018).

It was mentioned in the characteristics of the previous chapter that remakes try

to please both old and new players. It seems the problem is in trying to balance

the need for modern additions and alterations to entice new players and the need

to retain enough of the old with slight improvements to keep original fans happy.

Too few changes might even make old fans feel tricked into buying what is es-

sentially the same game they already own. This is not entirely unjustified as some

remakes are intended for not much more than re-purchase. (Brown 2018.)

Original developers might not like the changes either. In an interview with Rock-

PaperShotgun.com, Ron Gilbert, the creator of adventure game classic Maniac

Mansion (Lucasfilm Games 1987) among others, expressed his concern with new

high-resolution releases of old games. Gilbert feels that redoing the art of the

original game changes the aesthetic of the game and undermines the original

artistic decisions that were based on the technological limitations of that time.

(Kocen 2017.)

24

Brian Moriarty, designer of the 1990 adventure game Loom (Lucasfilm Games

1990), agrees with Ron Gilbert. He notes that the artists of the 1992 re-release

of Loom (Lucasfilm Games 1992) had a palette of 256 colours to work with com-

pared to the 16 colours available for the original game and thus more colours with

which to improve a game scene. However, the new artists neglected to note the

original artistic intent. In the original game, a bright red leaf is placed into the

scene for the specific purpose that players learn to identify interactive objects

(picture 3). (Kocen 2017.)

PICTURE 3. Screenshot of the opening scene of the original Loom (Lucasfilm

Games 1990)

In the re-release, the scene has been altered with a competing red hue of a sun-

rise which diminishes the visual importance of the leaf and might make players

miss the object (picture 4). (Kocen 2017.)

25

PICTURE 4. Screenshot of the opening scene of the 1992 re-release of Loom

(Kocen 2017)

So, while original developers not liking changes done to their games could be

seen as simply being possessive of their intellectual property, it can be proven

that alterations might cause actual gameplay issues, and this should be consid-

ered when remaking a game. LucasArts, the developer and publisher originally

known as Lucasfilm Games, made the decision to develop re-releases where the

players can switch between original and re-worked graphics during gameplay.

This way the players can see and appreciate both versions and the original art

can be preserved. (Kocen 2017.)

If there is dissatisfaction with the direction the game is headed when the remake

is still in development, the developers might choose to change their plans for the

game or reverse changes that have already been made. Cyryl Matuszewski, the

lead programmer for QLOC, described being forced to do the latter while working

on the PC version of the Devil May Cry HD Collection (QLOC 2018b) when the

publisher Capcom Japan rejected the improvements made to the game UI in fa-

vour of keeping the original (Brown 2018).

26

While having to reverse changes might stem from publishers changing their

minds or because of fan influence, it might also be a communication issue. Com-

munication is a significant problem in any joint venture. During the Hertan Rus-

karetki remake process there were issues with the new game script being some-

times difficult to understand and discrepancies between the audio and graphics

that were indicated in the script and the files that were delivered. It is evident that

a communication issue was present somewhere along the way. This resulted in

having to stop work on the Hertan Ruskaretki remake several times to ask for

clarification, and the end product is in some ways different than the one envi-

sioned in the script. Discrepancies and the communication issues that cause

them build uncertainty in what the client is looking for and what they will be satis-

fied with so they could potentially lead to reversed changes in addition to the

slowed-down workflow.

The Hertan Ruskaretki remake file discrepancies also introduce the issue of miss-

ing assets. In the Hertan Ruskaretki project it was not possible to get most of the

missing graphics indicated by the script since they were produced by a third party

before most of the development even began. Variations of already existing

graphics could sometimes be used. The missing audio files were not available

either so original files were used instead, combining them when possible to create

the result closest to the one indicated by the script.

As mentioned in chapter 4, it is characteristic of a remake project to increase in

scale. This can cause problems if the development team is not equipped to han-

dle the change or if the required changes result in delays. Like the previously

mentioned QLOC does for their clients, this can be managed by doing extensive

research on the assets of the original game and performing a cost evaluation

before starting the project (Brown 2018). Therefore, it is also important to con-

sider how much can realistically be done to remake a game when considering

how much should be done.

Relating to the scale of the project and its realistic workload, various technological

problems can arise depending on the original game and the desired remake re-

sult. QLOC programmer Cyryl Matuszewski names performance as a typically

problematic area when developing a remake. Since old games commonly have

27

a target framerate of 30 frames per second or FPS, a new target console with a

desired framerate of 60fps could impact, for example, animations and game phys-

ics. Bluepoint Studios echoes QLOC and they named the rise to 60fps as the

culprit that for a time hindered the player’s ability to climb onto a colossus while

development of their Shadow of the Colossus remake was still ongoing. (Brown

2018.)

Performance is also a problem in the sense that the visuals of a remake need to

be modernized without impacting performance. Bluepoint faced this problem

when remaking Shadow of the Colossus and had to rethink their approach be-

cause of the heavy emphasis on the visual side. The visuals were also used as

part of a key gameplay mechanic. The protagonist’s sword is meant to catch light

to show where the next colossus is but the system in place in the original game

no longer worked in the remake. The team had to replace the entire light-detec-

tion system with their own creation. (Brown 2018.)

To an extent the graphics were also a problem with the remake of Hertan Rus-

karetki as some of the newly created art assets were too much for the Unity game

engine itself to handle and resulted in an error, as discussed in chapter 3. The

graphics involved had to be reworked so that Unity would even import them, and

the largest scene in the game was tested for performance issues straight away.

Performance was a consideration before even starting the development process

since scalable vector graphics or SVG was chosen to be used for the image files.

When using SVGs there should be no considerable impact on memory or perfor-

mance (Hyytiäinen 2019a).

In an interview with Gamasutra.com, Miguel Angel Horna, co-founder of

BlitWorks, detailed the problems they faced when developing a port of Fez

(BlitWorks 2014) for the PlayStation Network or PSN. They had to consider

whether to keep the coding language of the original game or to convert the game

code to a more suitable coding language. The original language, C#, would cause

performance issues, and converting the code into C++ would be a big undertaking

but would also offer optimization. They also had to contend with graphics perfor-

mance because of the way a console handles the graphics workload would be

different to how a computer performs under the same stress. (Wawro 2014.)

28

Horna also lists considerations for the general porting process. The game may

not even run on the target platform at first. If the original game has been devel-

oped using closed-source tools and the tool does not work on the new platform,

the game needs to be rewritten in another language. If original tools or software

have been open-source, the developer needs to check platform compatibility as

well as whether a suitable license exists. Code needs to be checked and altered

for proper graphics support and performance. (Wawro 2014.)

Horna says the biggest issues are with getting the game and graphics to run on

the target platform and working at a good framerate. After the big problems are

handled, the rest of the issues deal with tweaking or changing controls and input

methods, adapting UI, resolution, text and localization, and platform specific

things. Horna even recommends keeping portability in mind when starting an

original game project and carefully considering engine, library and programming

language choices along with memory and CPU usage. (Wawro 2014.)

The problems discussed in this chapter have been listed below for conciseness:

• Various technological problems arise depending on the original game and

the desired remake result.

• Fans or developers might not like the new changes which might lead to

the need to reverse them during development.

• Balancing the need for modern alterations to entice new players and the

need to retain enough of the old to appease old players.

• Even small alterations may cause gameplay issues. Matters such as orig-

inal artistic intent should be considered before making a change.

• Communication issues cause uncertainty, delays and interrupted work-

flow.

• The tendency of the project to increase in scale causes delays during de-

velopment.

• Assets might be or become unavailable.

29

6 DISCUSSION

The remake exists on a continuum of a new creation based on an old game var-

iedly altered and improved to deliver a new experience for fans old and new. The

entire thesis could have been dedicated to the remake definition itself. There is

so much information, so many opinions from people in the industry, fans and

journalists, and no official definitions to be found that even the definitions offered

in this thesis are sure to be challenged.

An interesting topic to delve into, the remake discussion deserves more dedicated

research than this thesis can offer. It would be beneficial to directly interview in-

dustry professionals on their thoughts on and definitions of the term as the time

constraints of this thesis did not allow it. Do precise definitions even matter and

do differing opinions cause problems in the industry? It is clear they at minimum

cause confusion among players and arguably affect a player’s decision to buy the

game. A game that is called a remaster might not be enough to sway someone

to buy it if they consider only a remake is worth their money.

The characteristics and problems presented in this thesis also deserve additional

research. These research findings themselves were surprisingly diverse. Tech-

nological and communication issues are guaranteed in any game development

project but the idea that even a slight increase in colour can impact gameplay is

not commonly considered. On the characteristics side, nostalgia and restoration

were a pleasant counterweight to the more common monetary and marketing

needs. It is also interesting how the nature of remakes makes them a balancing

act between appeasing the old players and enticing the new.

It was difficult to divide the information that was found into characteristics and

problems and even harder to differentiate between what is characteristic of the

process and what of the product itself. This study focused more on the process

than the product, but some things were so closely related that they were included

in the results. Describing the characteristics of remaking video games thus turned

out to be the most difficult and imprecise part of the thesis. More research is sure

to uncover a more detailed list and again interviews could yield insight into how

30

developers themselves would describe characteristics. It can also be argued that

this part of the objective is too confusing, and the research question should be

reformulated.

The problems and characteristics are partly dependent on the differences be-

tween the assets, technology and goals of the original game and the ones of the

new version. This indicates the need for more specific research within those con-

straints since this thesis is more of an overview that is only slightly delving into

the Flash-based development background of the original game.

The remaking process is becoming more and more an outsourced project as de-

velopers need or want to focus on other productions or lack the specialized skills

to remake the game on a different platform. This might mean that acquiring a

suitable skillset specific to remaking games could be a career opportunity in either

a company specializing in game remakes or in the original developer’s employ.

The ever-changing state of technology guarantees that remaking old games will

not suddenly become a lost art and the money to be made from a well-executed

remake should not be ignored, nor the satisfaction of restoring a nostalgic game

back to its former glory.

31

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